I have a hard time buying anything other than American or German made guns. I know a lot of friends who love the XDs and others that don’t like the made in Croatia aspect. They think it’s a rebranded HS for more. I have toyed with buying the XD45 but when it comes down to it, I just have not done it. It doesn’t get me excited. will buy an HK 45 and maybe another 1911.
45’s have gotten stupid expensive to shoot anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Vaftocr:
<snipped> They think it’s a rebranded HS for more.<snipped>

They XD line across the board ARE just a rebranded HS product for more $, but in all likelyhood if someone like Springfield had not gotten with them in the early 2000's and rebranded them I don't know if they'd have been nearly as successful as they have been. *I know they're not WILDLY successful but I think they'd be was less accepted if they were just imported and kept the HS branding.

I've been happy with my 3 xd's. XDS9 3.3" (1st gen), xd-mod2 4" 9mm service model and last year I picked up my xdm-elite 3.8" compact 10mm.

I've been carrying my xds daily since I got it in 2017, and when I'm off work I've been carrying my xdm-elite. My only real complaint is the EXTRMELY low number of options for holsters. Luckily I found something that I really like for my xds and xdm-elite. rawdog tactical hybrid iwb for the xds and a muddy river tactical iwb for the xdm-e.

Not as much aftermarket support compared to other brands either, but I'm more of a leave it stock kind of guy, except for putting a trigger kit in my mod2 and xds. Still a 4.5-5lb pull but much cleaner.

In the very early days of the XD series HS Produkt tried doing the importing thing on their own only to find that their total lack of brand designation got them little to no market traction with dealers and distributors, let alone actual gun buyers. They shopped the XD around and it was Springfield that bit, but only if HS was willing to take their name off the guns and put Springfield's name and logo on them instead.

What is it that's said about Springfield? The one major player in the gun maker role that's never designed a gun of or on their own? The XD/XDm/XDS/Hellcat/Echelon/Hellion certainly fit that mold, along with their 1911s and offshoots, SA-35, ARs and M1As. Even the 2020 is supposedly built from outsourced parts designed and fabricated by others.

Nice work if you can get it...I suppose.